Electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly

ABSTRACT

An electric gambling machine is designed to randomly deal cards, particularly pokers, so that a player may select at his own discretion the dealing mechanism in the machine to deal cards and the sheets of cards to be dealt to ensure the fairness of the game with the gambling machine. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly mainly includes a game unit and a dealing unit having at least one card dealing mechanism. The game unit and the dealing unit are connected via a signal line to allow the player to select one or more card dealing mechanisms to deal cards via control of select buttons on the game unit. Therefore, the cards can be dealt randomly without being completely controlled by a computer program, making the game fair to play.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly, and more particularly to an electric gambling machine that is able to deal real cards to a player, and allows the player to select at discretion one or more of many card dealing mechanisms of the machine to deal cards and the sheets of cards to be dealt, so that the suits and pips of cards are not completely controlled by a computer program, making the game fair to play.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are a lot of games using pokers, such as show-hand, blackjack, baccarat, etc. Different games using pokers as a tool are usually included in international famous casinos. In these international famous casinos, most games using pokers have professional dealers to deal the cards. Moreover, since not all countries or areas have such high-class casinos, and not all people have the ability to play in such casinos, there have been developed various kinds of electric gambling machines related to poker games for poker-lovers to play.

For the currently available electric poker-related gambling machines, the way to deal cards is to show the dealt cards on a screen, instead of sending out real cards from the machine to the player. And, the cards are dealt in rules and sequences completely under control of a computer program. Therefore, the players would doubt the fairness of these games. Since there is currently not any electric poker-related gambling machine that deals cards randomly, players could do nothing but tolerate the gambling machines using computer program to control the dealing of cards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A primary object of the present invention is to provide an electric gambling machine dealing cards randomly, particularly an electric gambling machine that directly sends out real pokers to a player, and allows a player to select at his own discretion one or more of many dealing mechanisms of the machine to deal cards and the sheets of cards to be dealt, so as to ensure the fairness of the game with the gambling machine.

The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly according to the present invention mainly includes a game unit and a dealing unit having at least two card dealing mechanisms. The game unit and the dealing unit are connected via connecting lines to allow the player to select one or more card dealing mechanisms to deal cards via control of select buttons on the game unit. Therefore, the cards can be dealt randomly without being completely controlled by a computer program.

The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly according to the present invention may further includes an optic reader in each card dealing mechanism for reading out identifying barcodes on each card to verify the suit and pips of the card. The readout is also shown on a screen on the game unit.

The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly according to the present invention may further includes a stamper in each card dealing mechanism for stamping on each card a code of verifying each game before the card is sent out from the machine to the player.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a dealing unit of the electric gambling machine of FIG. 1 with an upper cover removed therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a sectioned side view showing a card dealing mechanism and a card supplying mechanism inside the dealing unit of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 1 that is a perspective view of an electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the gambling machine includes a game unit 1 and a dealing unit 2 that are mechanically and electrically connected to each other via connecting means. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the game unit 1 is modified and improved from a currently commercially available electric gambling machine for poker games. The game unit 1 is of a type adapted to control the operation of the dealing unit 2, and includes more than one select button 10, and a screen 11. The select buttons 10 are used to start, play, and display results of a game, and to control the dealing unit 2 to deal and supply cards.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the dealing unit 2 mainly includes at least one card dealing mechanism 3, and a card supplying mechanism 4 corresponding to each card dealing mechanism 3 to supply cards to the latter. The card dealing mechanism 3 accepts signals from the select buttons 10 on the game unit 1 controlled by a player, and deals cards according to the player's selection. That is, a player may select a specific card dealing mechanism 3 via the select buttons 10 on the game unit 1, and specify the sheets of cards to be dealt by the specific card dealing mechanism 3. For example, in a five-card game, the player may select five different card dealing mechanisms 3 to each deal one card, or select less than five card dealing mechanisms 3 to deal total five cards. In this manner, variable results may be obtained. The more the card dealing mechanisms are provided in the machine, the more variable results can be obtained. Therefore, in implementation of the present invention, it is better to have more than two card dealing mechanisms 3, so as to increase the probability of selecting cards randomly.

The card dealing mechanism 3 mainly includes a card cartridge 30, a transfer roller set 31, and a transfer rail 32. The transfer roller set 31 guides cards in the card cartridge 30 into the transfer rail 32, along which cards are moved to an outer side of the dealing unit 3 one by one. The transfer roller set 31 includes a feed roller 311 for bringing a card into the transfer rail 32, a transfer roller 312 for constantly moving a card forward, and a plurality of deal rollers 313 provided at an outer end 321 of the transfer rail 32. The feed roller 311 and the transfer roller 312 are rotated synchronously. However, the deal rollers 313 start rotating synchronously only when a card reaches at the outer end 321 of the transfer rail 32, so as to guide the card out of the transfer rail 32.

The card dealing mechanism 3 also includes an optic reader 34 and a stamper 35. The optic reader 34 reads barcodes printed on each card passing through the transfer rail 32 to verify pips and suit on the card. Any readout of the optic reader 34 is transmitted to a memory in the game unit 1, and displayed on the screen 11 at the same time the card is dealt. The stamper 35 stamps on the card to be dealt next time an identifying code for verifying the specific game to avoid any dispute between the player and the gambling machine owner. To ensure reading of the barcodes on each card, it is possible to provide two optic readers 34 in each card dealing mechanism 3. The same one stamper 35 may be used for different card dealing mechanisms 3. In this case, the stamper 35 is mounted on two horizontal guide bars 36, 36 to translate between the card dealing mechanisms 3 and stamp identification codes on cards to be dealt by all card dealing mechanisms 3.

The card supplying mechanism 4 is provided behind the card dealing mechanism 3, and includes a card storage 40, a card pusher 41, and a card supplier 42. The card storage 40 is a storing space for stacking cards 50 therein. The card pusher 41 is located below the card storage 40 to support the cards 50 thereon. When the card pusher 41 is moved upward, cards 50 are sent to the card supplier 42 above the card storage 40. The card supplier 42 includes a scraper 421 fixedly connected to a rack 422. A gear 423 brings the rack 422 to move and thereby causes the scraper 421 to push one card into the card cartridge 30 of the card dealing mechanism 3. The card pusher 41 is elevated and lowered through meshing of racks 43 with gears 44. The card supplying mechanism 4 and the card dealing mechanism 3 may be provided in one-to-one correspondence, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2. Alternatively, one card supplying mechanism 4 may be provided against two or more card dealing mechanisms 3 to supply cards. In the latter case, the card supplying mechanism 4 must be able to translate between the card dealing mechanisms 3.

The game unit 1 and the dealing unit 2 are electrically connected to one another using a power cord (not shown) and a signal transmitting line (not shown) to achieve power supply and signal transmission, respectively. Since this part is a known art and not a technical feature of the present invention, it is not discussed in details herein. In the above-described embodiment, the game unit 1 and the dealing unit 2 are provided in one-to-one correspondence. However, in actual application of the present invention, one dealing unit 2 may be provided against two or more game units 1, as shown in FIG. 4.

With the dealing unit 2 of the present invention, the way of dealing cards can be decided at a player's discretion without being completely controlled by a computer program, making the game fair to play. Moreover, the card dealt by the dealing unit 2 can be compared and checked with that shown on the screen 11 of the game unit 1 to ensure the game is fair without cheating.

The present invention has been described with some preferred embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims. 

1. An electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly, comprising: a dealing unit including at least one card dealing mechanism and at least one card supplying mechanism; and said card supplying mechanism being adapted to supply cards to said card dealing mechanism; a game unit including more than one select button for playing games, and a screen for displaying results of the games; and connecting means allowing selection of one of said at least one card dealing mechanism of said dealing unit via said select buttons on said game unit to deal cards, and control of said at least one card supplying mechanism to supply cards to said card dealing mechanism.
 2. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said at least one card dealing mechanism includes a card cartridge, a transfer roller set, and a transfer rail; and cards in said card cartridge being transferred by said transfer roller set along said transfer rail to an outer side of said dealing unit.
 3. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said card dealing mechanism further includes an optic reader for reading a barcode mark provided on each card used in said electric gambling machine for identifying said card.
 4. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said card dealing mechanism includes a stamper for stamping on each card a code for identifying each game before said card is transferred to the outer side of said dealing unit.
 5. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said at least one card supplying mechanism is located behind a corresponding one of said card dealing mechanism, and includes a card storage, a card pusher, and a card supplier; said card storage being a storing space for stacking a plurality of cards therein, said card pusher being located below said card storage to support cards stacked in said card storage, and adapted to move upward and thereby send cards in said card storage into said card supplier located above said card storage; and said card supplier including a scraper, which is movable to push a card from said card supplier into said card cartridge of said card dealing mechanism.
 6. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said game unit and said dealing unit are electrically connected to one another via a signal line to enable signal transmission between said game unit and said dealing unit.
 7. An electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly, comprising: a dealing unit including at least one card dealing mechanism and at least one card supplying mechanism adapted to supply cards to said at least one card dealing mechanism; each of said at least one card dealing mechanism including a card cartridge, a transfer roller set, and a transfer rail, and cards in said card cartridge being moved by said transfer roller along said transfer rail to an outer side of said dealing unit; and a game unit including more than one select button for playing games, and a screen for displaying results of the games; said game unit and said dealing unit being electrically connected to one another via a signal line to allow selection of one of said at least one card dealing mechanism of said dealing unit via said select buttons on said game unit to deal cards, and control of said at least one card supplying mechanism to supply cards to said card dealing mechanism.
 8. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said card dealing mechanism further includes an optic reader for reading a barcode mark provided on each card used in said electric gambling machine for identifying said card.
 9. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said card dealing mechanism includes a stamper for stamping on each card a code for identifying each game before said card is transferred to the outer side of said dealing unit.
 10. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said at least one card supplying mechanism is located behind a corresponding one of said card dealing mechanism, and includes a card storage, a card pusher, and a card supplier; said card storage being a storing space for stacking a plurality of cards therein, said card pusher being located below said card storage to support cards stacked in said card storage, and adapted to move upward and thereby send cards in said card storage into said card supplier located above said card storage; and said card supplier including a scraper, which is movable to push a card from said card supplier into said card cartridge of said card dealing mechanism.
 11. An electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly, comprising a dealing unit including at least one card dealing mechanism and at least one card supplying mechanism adapted to supply cards to said at least one card dealing mechanism; each of said at least one card dealing mechanism including a card cartridge, a transfer roller set, and a transfer rail, and cards in said card cartridge being moved by said transfer roller along said transfer rail to an outer side of said dealing unit; said card supplier being located behind a corresponding one of said card dealing mechanism, and including a storing space for storing cards therein, and a card supplier adapted to push a card from said storing space into said card cartridge of said card dealing mechanism.
 12. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said card dealing mechanism further includes an optic reader for reading a barcode mark provided on each card used in said electric gambling machine for identifying said card.
 13. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said card dealing mechanism includes a stamper for stamping on each card a code for identifying each game before said card is transferred to the outer side of said dealing unit.
 14. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 11, wherein said storing space in each of said at least one card supplying mechanism is a card storage for stacking a plurality of cards therein, and wherein each said card supplying mechanism further includes a card pusher located below said card storage to support cards stacked in said card storage, and adapted to move upward and thereby send cards in said card storage into said card supplier located above said card storage; and wherein said card supplier includes a scraper, which is movable to push a card from said card supplier into said card cartridge of said card dealing mechanism.
 15. The electric gambling machine for dealing cards randomly as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a game unit having more than one select button for playing games, and a screen for displaying results of the games; said game unit and said dealing unit being electrically connected to one another via a signal line to allow selection of one of said at least one card dealing mechanism of said dealing unit via said select buttons on said game unit to deal cards, and control of said at least one card supplying mechanism to supply cards to said card dealing mechanism. 